I always did that run-and-jumpstraight into my bedso that my feet never camenear the bottom edgewhere the darkness lurkedunderneath.

Surely, there was somethingthat could have reached outto grab my leg and pull me under.I was certain to have none of it.

But if I made it safely to my bed,tucked fully under the covers,with only my face peeking out,then I was safe for the night.

But even then,shadows had a way ofplaying mischief on the walls of my roomcausing me wild imaginations.

And sometimesI'd find my wayinto my parents bedbefore the light of day came.

It was the same roomwith the same furnitureand the same fixturesin the daylight that it was at night. But that didn't settle my fears.

For darkness,especially alone,is a scary place to be.

I much prefer the light.

Light...radiant,brilliant,bright,shining,warm,luminous,energetic.

Light dispels darkness.

Especially having the lighton my side...a flashlight in handmakes me feela bit more powerfulin the middle of the dark.Because I have the abilityto shine it in any directionilluminating whatevercauses me fear.

And that's just physical darkness.When it comes to our emotions,darkness has a way oftaking over all too quicklyif we don't know how tograb onto a spiritual flashlight.

But Jesus said to His disciples..."My light will shine for youjust a little longer.Walk in the light while you can,so the darknesswill not overtake you.Those who walk in the darknesscannot see where they are going.Put your trust in the lightwhile there is still time;then you will become​children of the light.”John 12:35-36 NLT

Jesus came to this earthknowing that it had becomeengulfed in darknesswhen sin entered the worldin the Garden of Eden.

So He came as the Light of the Worldto help us find our way.

This is actuallyhow the disciple Johndescribes Jesus in his gospel...In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.John 1:4-5

It's not only that the the darknessdid not understand Him as light...but the people who lived in darknessdid not eagerly accept Him,nor perceive what He offered.

Many preferred He notshine His light into their darknesswhen it illuminated their sinful past.For that would cause themto feel shame.

But that is not why Jesus came.Rather the light was to lead us out ofour shame and darknessand to free us from the bondage of sin.

This takes some adjustmentto fully comprehend.Just as our eyes dilatewalking from a dark movie theatreinto the bright sunlight,so our soul must adjustto the brilliance of God's light.

At first it may seem too much,squinting and shielding our eyes.But if we let the warmthof His light penetrate,soon we will adjust to understandhow He shone it to show us a better way to live.

Not only that,He said if we put our trust in Himwe then could alsobecome children of the light.

for at one time you were darkness,but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light...for the fruit of light is foundin all that is good and right and true. And try to discern what ispleasing to the Lord.Ephesians 5:8-10

Jesus placed inside of usspiritual flashlightswhen He made uschildren of light,that we may now walkwith confidence in this world,shaking off fear and condemnationno longer living in the dark.

Those things that used tocause us to do the run-and-jumptrying to clear thembefore they could grab us,should longer frighten us.For we can now more clearly seethat they are simply shadowsin the light of a true Savior.

And we no longer have to hidefrom our past with the coverspulled up around our face.Nor must we fearthe shadows as theyplaying mischief on the walls of our mindcausing wild imaginations ofwhat might go wrong in our future.

Because once we embracethe full light we will realizethat the way out is so much betterthan staying in our own darkness.

But it takes making daily changesto the way we live.

Paul encouraged us in this...Do all things withoutcomplaining and disputing,that you may becomeblameless and harmless,children of God without faultin the midst of a crooked andperverse generation, among whomyou shine as lights in the world,holding fast the word of life,so that I may rejoicein the day of Christ thatI have not run in vain orlabored in vain.Philippians 2:14-16

Living in the lighttruly means there is lessto trip and stumble overbecause we can now seethe obstacles in front of usmore clearly.

It doesn't mean a lifewithout trouble.For all life has it's share of that.

But it means that we cansee our way better.We can breath easierknowing that we have hopeilluminating the path​and a Savior to guide us.

We have a futurethat is brighter thanwhat we could do for ourselvesin the darkness.

Word of Godtrain me today...To embrace the lightand trust in You to lead meon a right path in life.

To live my life in the light,finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

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from my heart...

I write as an overflow... an expression of my true love for God and with a deep desire to encourage others in their day to day lives. For we can only find peace, joy, and satisfaction when we yield to the One who yielded His life for us.